Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-09-01

stand the small dog ON MS nihu lcSs-
though he tempered the severity of this
hint by slight internal chuckle, and
wink of intense meaning.
moi is that so, Uncle Jethp" re-
turned Joe, regarding Tad with a look
of seeming apprehension. He don't
seem like one of that kind added the
youthful speaker, with affected inno-
cence, as Captain Flagg turned away
to hide smile.
"Oh, Joe Whitney, you're just as
bad as ever" Polly exclaimed, despair
ingly; and then, remembering that the
polite usages of society called for
formal introduction, she added:
Joe, this is Tad Thorne-I hope
you'll be ever so good friends"
"How are you, Tad?' said Joe, with
shy twinkle in his eye.
"How are you Joe?" awkwardly re-
turned Tad, who didn't very well know
what else to say, and, on the whole,
rather fancying the easy, off-hand man.
ner of Polly's cousin. But, then, every
body liked Joe, as a general thing
even those Bixnort people who insisted
that if he tOas Deacon Whitney's son.
he was the worst boy in the place.
Yet Joe's badness was nothing so
very bad, after all. He was only one
of those restless, fun-lOving boys, who
are never so well content as when they
are in mischief; and neither the pro-
testations of his mother, nor the occa-
sional furnishings administered by the
good deacon, had any thing more than
a merely temporary effect.
Ibid you come from Bostone" asked
Joe, as Tad, with a home-sick feeling
under his jacket, watched Polly and her
father getting ready to leave the vessel.
for, of course, he expected to have to
stay on board until some different al
rangement was made for him.
No, from Philadelphia, returned
Tad, and Joe began to regard him with
sort of respect; for Philadelphia, in
the eyes of Bixport people, was one OF
world.
"Come on, Tad; we're all ready"
called Polly, and can assure you that
Tad was not more than a minute in
running below after the little hand
sachel, which he determined not to let
out of his possession, and returning to
| the deck.
Isn't it nice that you're going home
with us?' said Polly, as the little party
of three walked up the wharf, leaving
Joe swarming up the MARY Us"
rigging, three ratlines at a step.
Tad thought it was decidedly nice,
and his smiling face expressed more
than his brief words as, dropping be-
hind Polly and her father, he followed
them at Il respectful distance.
:. This is Main street." explained
Polly, turning a beaming face upon
him, as, leaving the wharf, they en-
tered the village itself.
"Ohr' said Tad, filled with amaze
ment, and thinking how funny it all
was-the narrow plank walk, the grass
growing green by the wayside, with
cows-real live cows!-feeding on it!
Tad caught himself wondering what a
country cow would do in a Philadel-
phia street-say Broad street, for ex-
amplei And then, too, every thing
was so quiet. Occasionally a farm
wagon rolled leisurely by, or an OK
cart, with a brown-faced man, in shirt
sleeves, sitting sideways on the cart
tongue, jolted slowly along. Tad, who
had never seen any oxen before, re-
garded them as probable new and SUI
perior breed of COWS.
At little intervals along the street,
great elm and maple trees were grow
ing-trees whose shade in summer
nearly hid the quadnt old houses behind
them from view. Just now their
branches were bare, but the warm